Caged

by E. M. Leya

  "That sounds good." Danny sighed as he sat down, oddly seeming fine with the simple meal and the quiet.

  "It will be over soon." Marshall pulled a couple of frozen meals out. "Chicken or meatloaf?"

  "Chicken and a beer."

  Marshall glanced up, ready to tease Danny that he was too young to drink but decided tonight wasn't the night. Danny seldom took more than a taste of beer when Marshall would have one, but if he wanted one tonight, Marshall wasn't going to tell him he couldn't.

  "How long do you think the news will sit outside?"

  "Not long, once they know we aren't answering the door, but I'm guessing they'll pop up from time to time until the trial is over."

  "Great." Danny sighed.

  "You don't have to talk to them. We'll go on with our lives and act as if they aren't even there. I'll make sure you're safe. If it gets bad, we'll move for a few weeks until this all blows over. I promise I won't leave your side as long as they're sniffing around."

  "Thanks."

  "We'll get through this. The team will protect you. You have nothing to worry about."

  "Except facing him in court," Danny whispered.

  "Even for that, I'll be with you through it all. You won't face him alone. By the time this goes to court, I'm guessing the effects of the castration will start taking effect. Larry won't be the same man he used to be. The hormonal changes from castration make him weak and sickly. Life will never be the same for him."

  "Good."

  "I agree." Marshall waited for the microwave to ding, then set the food on the table. They ate in silence, both lost in thought. He hated seeing Danny nervous, but this was going to be over soon and they could get on with their lives and hopefully, leave the darkness in the past.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Danny sat at the kitchen table at the STK house, reading through the police reports that Marshall had printed off for him. The report of what the police found when they arrived was graphic and made his stomach turn. How the STK team members handled cutting off another man's cock and balls was beyond him. Even though he wanted Larry to suffer and would have probably killed the man if he could have to escape eventually, he couldn't do what they did. Not that he wasn't glad they did it.

  He smiled as he read that Larry's cock had been placed on the man's chest when the police found him. Larry had still been under the effect of the drugs that the team administered, and hadn't been able to move or speak. Danny liked to imagine the fear that Larry had faced when everything was happening.

  "I smell cookies." Rani walked into the kitchen.

  "Faith and I made them, but they need a few more minutes in the oven." Danny smiled.

  "I've never been a patient man when it comes to cookies." Rani sat down. "Where is Faith?"

  "She's with Xander playing video games. Matt's in with Marshall and Jeremy making sure everything runs smooth tonight for Patrick and Jessica." He'd decided to come to work with Marshall tonight instead of staying home alone. He was curious about what went on during a sting but had been surprised at how calm everything and everyone was.

  Like any other day, Marshall and the others spent the whole time at the computers, and other than watching Jessica and Patrick gear up, they seemed as if they were on their way to the store to pick up milk. He'd expected everyone to be tense, but he guessed they did this often enough it was just a job to them. Still, he couldn't stop thinking about how dangerous it could be and what would happen if they got caught.

  D was in with the guys in the computer room, but he'd been out with him and Faith as they'd made cookies, joking with them like nothing important was going on. Danny didn't think for a minute that this wasn't all taken seriously, but the ease of it all surprised him.

  "Marshall mentioned you found a cooking course you're going to take?" Rani played with a pen that was on the table.

  "Just an online one for now, but I'm excited. Once the media stops trying to stalk me, I'll maybe sign up for something more. Do you cook?"

  "When I have time, but since I've moved here, I haven't had any of that. By the time I get home from work all I want to do is sleep." He glanced up. "It's rare for me to be awake for the stings like tonight. Most of the time I figure they'll wake me if they need me."

  "Do you like it here in America?" Danny couldn't imagine being anywhere but Colorado. He'd never left the state.

  "I do. There's a lot more opportunity here and less political and religious issues to deal with. The stress is less for me. I miss my family, but I wouldn't go back even if I had the chance." Rani smiled. "The weather is nicer here. I don't miss the heat from back home."

  "Does it snow there?"

  "Sometimes, but not very much and only in certain areas."

  "Rani, we're going to need you. Patrick took a knife to the leg. Jessica got him out and cleaned up the mess, but the knife is still embedded. ETA is about ten minutes." D walked into the kitchen, still calm, but worry lines etched his eyes. "Danny, can you grab Faith to assist Rani?"

  Danny's pulse raced at the thought of Patrick injured, but he shook the shock of the news away, doing exactly what D ordered. "Sure." He stood and headed to the game room. He tried to remain calm when all he wanted to do was run and scream for help. If D wasn't panicking, he wouldn't either. He took a deep breath as he came down the steps to the room. "Um, Faith?"

  "Yeah?" She didn't glance up from the game. "Cookies done?"

  "No, but D said Patrick was hurt and wanted you to assist Rani when they get here."

  At that news, both Faith and Xander dropped the gaming controls and stood.

  "How bad?" Xander asked.

  "D said a stab wound to the leg. Knife still embedded."

  Faith looked relieved. "Thank God it's nothing too serious." She glanced at Xander. "Will you clean up?"

  "Go, I've got this." Xander nodded.

  Shocked that a stab wound would be considered not serious, Danny turned and followed Faith upstairs. She ran straight for the medical room, leaving him wondering what he could do to help.

  "Don't let those cookies burn." D gripped Danny's shoulder. "We'll need them once this is all cleared up. You might also want to make some of that grape Kool-Aid that Patrick likes so much. He'll need to stay hydrated once the shock wears off."

  "He's in shock?"

  "I don't know, but I expect anyone who got stabbed would be. It happens to all of us when we take an injury. I've seen grown men faint over a sprain because of shock. The body reacts differently to pain. Jessica said it didn't look bad, but we won't know until Rani looks at it. She said there wasn't much blood."

  Probably because they didn't pull the knife free. Danny had images in his mind of blood spraying all over once the knife came out.

  "You okay?" Xander walked over to him.

  "Yeah, I'm good. I was just surprised. Didn't expect this."

  "We don't expect it either. But we have to be ready for anything." Xander gave him a supportive smile. "Don't worry. The team can handle a stab wound to the leg."

  Danny nodded.

  "Xan, can you help me get Patrick inside once they pull into the driveway?" D asked.

  "Sure thing." Xander glanced out the window. "Jessica okay?"

  "Shook up, but fine. The sting went down as normal once she made sure Patrick was okay. I'll know more once they arrive and debrief." D leaned against the wall, turned so he could see the driveway.

  "I better check the cookies." Danny left them alone, feeling as if he didn't belong there at the moment. What a night to experience his first sting. He bit his lip as he pulled the cookies from the oven and turned it off. He then went about making Kool-Aid as he waited for them to cool.

  It was about ten minutes later that he heard Xander and D head outside. Danny stayed in the kitchen, not wanting to be in the way, but he was curious. He waited until he heard voices again, then came out, staying back as he watched Xander and D helping a pale Patrick hop into the medical room.

  Patrick had what looke
d like a kitchen knife protruding from his left thigh, a light stain of blood seeping through the pants in the same area. It didn't look half as bad as Danny had expected, but that didn't mean it wasn't. He didn't know enough to guess if something like that could be deadly. Again, he hated how much life experience and knowledge he'd failed to get since he'd been held by Larry for so many years. He was like a child in so many ways and it really bothered him. Stuff everyone else had seen or done a million times he was experiencing for the first time.

  "Get him on the bed." Rani stood inside the medical room, dressed in a blue gown looking thing, gloves on his hands.

  Faith looked much the same as she seemed to be hanging a bag of fluids from a pole beside the bed. "I'm going to get an IV started while Rani looks at your leg." Faith smiled at Patrick. "How's your pain?"

  "It fucking hurts," Patrick grumbled. "Asshole caught me off guard. He was in the kitchen, cutting an apple when I came up behind him. He turned as I jabbed the needle into his neck, and got my leg with the knife before he went down."

  "You didn't see he had a knife?" D asked.

  "Yeah, but I didn't think it was that big or that he could turn so fast. I swear I was careful. I thought from the angle I approached it would be okay."

  Jessica walked into the room with a worried look. "How bad is it?"

  "We're about to find out." Rani lifted a pair of scissors. "Hope these weren't your favorite pants." He started to cut up the leg of the pants to open it. "You wearing something under these?"

  Patrick nodded. "Boxers."

  "Good. Didn't want to embarrass you." Rani slowed as he got closer to the wound.

  "Jess, how about you come talk to Xander and me while they see what they're dealing with."

  Danny stood back against the wall, wanting to stay and watch. When no one paid any attention to him, he simply stayed where he was, fascinated by how Faith and Rani seemed to work together without even speaking about what needed to be done.

  "Let me get a look at it, then we'll give you something for pain while we fix you up." Rani glanced at Faith. "Did you prep the lidocaine?"

  Faith gave a nod. "Everything you should need is on the tray." She taped the IV to Patrick's hand as she spoke.

  Watching Faith was more fascinating than watching Rani. She was younger than he was and yet she handled this as if she'd been doing it for years. She didn't flinch at the sight of the blood or the way the knife angled from Patrick's thigh. Danny wished he was as brave as she was. Just the sight of the knife had him feeling dizzy and he was thankful for the wall he leaned against.

  As if reading his thoughts, Faith glanced over at him. "You okay over there, Danny?"

  "Yeah, I'm good." He hoped he wasn't lying.

  "Sit down if you need to. You're almost as pale as Patrick. We don't need you falling," Rani told him.

  "I'm good. I promise. I can leave if you need me to, but I'd like to watch."

  "That's up to Patrick." Rani glanced up at the man he was working on.

  "I don't mind you staying." Patrick grimaced at something Rani did. "Can I get something for pain?"

  "I'm going to numb the area in a second. Faith, how are his vitals?"

  "Stable. Pulse is a little high, but I think it's just stress."

  "Give him something for pain." Rani nodded to her. "Patrick, this might make you drowsy. Any other injuries or anything I need to know?"

  "Nothing." Patrick watched as Faith put something in the IV line.

  "Okay, this looks good. I'm going to take the knife out and stitch you up. I want you to stay here and rest for a few hours, then you can hobble back to your room." Rani started to give a few small shots to the area around the knife wound.

  Danny couldn't see well, but he was fascinated at how calm and easy everything was. It reminded him of when his mother would sit him down and pull a splinter from his finger. Of course, this was nothing that simple, but watching Faith and Rani, one would think it was.

  Faith assisted Rani as he removed the knife, tossing it on a tray, then worked to clean the wound before he stitched and bandaged it. "Danny, why don't you go get Patrick a couple of those cookies if the others haven't eaten them all already." Faith smiled over at him.

  Glad for something to do, he nodded. "I'll be right back."

  He headed to the kitchen, surprised to find Marshall at the table, eating a cookie and drinking a glass of milk.

  "Hey." Marshall smiled. "Learning a lot?"

  Danny paused to drop a kiss on Marshall's lips. "They're amazing. They make it look so easy."

  "I guess it is if you're used to doing it all the time." Marshall shrugged. "Patrick okay?"

  "Hurting but fine. It doesn't look bad." He placed a couple of cookies on a plate and poured a large glass of Kool-Aid for Patrick. "How's Jessica?"

  "Good. She went home already. So did D and Jeremy. Xander and Matt are in the computer room while they wait for Faith."

  "She's so amazing. I wish I could be as strong as she is." Danny sighed.

  "You are, just in different ways. You have your own talents. Don't compare yourself. You have to remember, she wasn't held for years, and she's been free a lot longer than you have. You'll get there if you give yourself time." Marshall stood and came to him. "Go deliver your food and we'll head home." He kissed Danny softly. "I need to hold you."

  Danny leaned against him for a moment, taking comfort in Marshall's warmth. "It's been a long night. You okay?" He needed to remember that all this had to have some effect on Marshall too. Patrick was part of the team, a friend. No one wanted anyone to get hurt during a sting.

  "I'm okay. Glad everyone is alright."

  "Me too. Let me take these upstairs and we can go." Danny grabbed the plate of cookies and juice to take up to Patrick.

  Once he was done and said his goodbyes, he hurried down to find Marshall stacking the report on Larry's arrest into a neat pile. "Can I take those home to finish reading?" He still hadn't gotten to the hospital report which Marshall had hacked in to get him.

  "No, we don't want this laying around our home, but I'll keep them here and you can come with me tomorrow to read more if you want." Marshall stood. "Let me put them in a safe place."

  While he understood the need to be careful and not have anything around the house link them back to STK, he still hated it. He wanted to know everything, and while Marshall and D had talked him through everything, the reports were a bit more detailed and that was what he wanted. "Okay." He put the rest of the cookies in a container and set it on the counter while he waited.

  It had been a long day, but he was now sure it really was Larry they had in custody and that eased his mind. Maybe tonight he could sleep soundly, without the nightmarish thoughts of Larry coming to steal him away in the night. Maybe tonight he could finally let go and move on, letting the fear finally end.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Danny glanced over at Jeremy, second-guessing what they were about to do. This would officially link him to the STK team, and even though he wasn't really part of them, having the knowledge of what they did could be enough to get him into trouble. Did he trust Gary as much as he thought he did?

  "You okay?" Jeremy parked the car in the lot behind Gary's office. They'd decided it wasn't smart for D to come since his face was in the news again and he had active warrants out for him from the California arrest and escape.

  "Yeah, just hope we've read Gary right and he doesn't call the police on us." Danny wiped a sweaty palm down the leg of his jeans.

  "I can always contact him later. You don't have to be part of it. We just thought you might like to be included. We want you to know you are part of STK now, but that doesn't mean you need to take this risk." Jeremy watched him closely as if looking for some kind of reaction.

  "No, I want to do this. Maybe looking at me will remind him why what you do is so important. Besides, if he does join, he'd find out about me anyway since I'm dating Marshall." Danny pushed open the passenger door, determined t
o do this.

  "How are things going with you two?" Jeremy asked as they started inside.

  "Good, maybe too good. It feels like just yesterday he saved me, but now we're a couple, living together, and talking about the future. It's a bit overwhelming. I'm always afraid that I'm reading things wrong because I don't have the experience others do, but Marshall makes me happy. I don't want what we have to end."

  "I'm pretty sure that goes both ways. He's with you because he wants to be. We offered to help find you an apartment if he wanted you to move out, but he was adamant that he wanted you there. He said his life's never been so perfect. You're not misreading anything. You two remind me of when I first met D, minus all the sexual stuff."

  Danny blushed. "Did Marshall complain about that?"

  What?" Jeremy looked shocked. "No, he never mentioned it. I just meant D and I couldn't be together for five minutes without making out. For us, it started out physical. You and Marshall might be totally different. Not all relationships are as sexual as mine is with D."

  Danny paused before they went inside. "I feel bad because I'm not like that. I worry I won't be enough for Marshall."

  Jeremy smiled. "Intimacy can be found in many ways. So can pleasure. I've heard of people with no sexual desire at all. They still fall in love. Don't worry about sex. Marshall wouldn't be with you if he needed more than you give him. He's a strong man and wouldn't settle for less than he wants. If he's with you, that's where he wants to be. Sex is different for everyone. You've been through a lot of stuff. Give it time. If I'd been through what you have, I wouldn't want anyone touching me. You're doing amazing if you ask me. Seriously, I think Marshall loves you. Don't doubt him if he tells you he does, okay?"

  Danny nodded. He had never doubted the words when Marshall said them other than to wonder how he could live up to being loved by someone. He always felt like he wasn't enough. Was too used or broken. He took a deep breath. "Thanks."

  "You can come talk to me any time you need to. Now, should we go shock the hell out of your counselor and see if we can lure him to the dark side?"